Phoenix Ascendant
by ArlineTardisKalliope
Summary: Livilla is back and even more powerful, devious, and deranged. This time it's not just Kirk she's after, it's the whole crew. Sequel to Nero's Phoenix, read that first or this won't make sense. Action and whump with a side of Spirk and a hint of Chulu. I'll be updating a bit more slowly now, I've got writer's block. Sorry!
1. Chapter 1

Livilla paced the bridge of the _Narada II_, a sleek bird-of-prey given to her by a sympathizer in the Romulan military. The ship was heavily armed and faster than any Federation craft, with thick shields and a cloaking device. Its most important feature, however, was the transporter they had taken from the _Galileo_, a Federation ship that had been limping towards a base on the edge of the Neutral Zone after colliding with an asteroid. She didn't even make it halfway. The crew was perfect for her needs too. Just placid enough to be obedient, just fiery enough to be vicious, just dumb enough to be fearless, just bright enough to be dangerous, and dead shots.

"Course set, ma'am."

"Excellent. Let us remind the Federation that we are their worst enemy. And it's Commander, not ma'am."

"Yes, Commander."

…

_ Boring. Why does this job have to be so damn boring. I thought a security position in Starfleet would involve a little more than just patrolling the corridors. But here I am, inspecting the escape pods for the umpteenth time this week._

A roaring explosion tore through the base, destroying everything in its path.

…

"I can't believe it."

"An entire starbase destroyed, no survivors and barely any wreckage?"

"This is impossible."

"What could do that?"

"Never mind _what_, _who_ could do that?"

"If everyone could just calm the hell down!" The bridge of the_ Enterprise_ fell silent. "Thanks. Now there are no leads as to who did this as of yet, but I'm sure something will turn up. Anyone who had family or friends on the base has the rest of the week off."

"Is it her?"

The question came seemingly out of thin air, giving voice to what everyone on the ship had been wondering.

"Maybe. Maybe not. It's too early to tell." Kirk's hand went to his neck, seemingly involuntarily. When he realized his crew were staring, he put it down and cleared his throat awkwardly. "As I said, there are no leads yet. If you had loved ones on the base, you have the week off to cope. If you don't, please return to your previous activities." The crew dispersed, talking nervously amongst themselves.

"Captain."

"How many times have I told you to call me Jim? Especially now that we're together."

"Approximately 175 times."

"It was a rhetorical question, Spock."

"Is it her though? Could it be her?"

"It could be anyone, Spock."

"_Ashayam_, if it is her, you are in serious danger."

"I'll be fine, Spock. Really."

…

"Our next target, Commander?"

"Choose any planet and get it done."

"Everyone dead, or is 90% satisfactory?

"Everyone."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I need reviews. If I suck, tell me how much I suck. If I don't suck, tell me what you liked. If you want something in the story, say so! **

"Another attack?!"

"This is horrible!"

"The entire planet?! How?!"

"Only one survivor?"

"I have a cousin on Janus V, could the survivor be him?"

"Is it her?" The inevitable question left the room uneasily silent.

"I don't know." Kirk admitted. "But at this point there is a lead. Once the survivor recovers from the shock, he can tell us who did it. Everyone who is not vital to the ship's function has today and tomorrow off. It's been a hard week." The crew retreated to their rooms to process the fact that the thriving colony on Janus V had, with one exception, been completely obliterated.

"Jim-"

"I'm fine, Spock, just a little nervous."

"You need rest too. I am perfectly capable of running the bridge in your absence, which makes your refusal to stop working illogical."

"When whoever has been making these attacks shows up, I'd rather face my death on the bridge than in my bunk."

"I think that we both know what will happen when the person behind these acts of terror attacks us. She is-"

"SHE'S NOT BACK!" Kirk got up and left the room, halfway between rage and panic. Spock followed.

"_Ashayam_, can't you see that I only want you safe. If she is behind these attacks, denial will only give her the advantage."

"Denial keeps me sane. If I thought it was her, I don't know what I would do."

"She and her brother took almost everything from me. I cannot allow her to take you as well, _t'hy'la_."

"It's not her."

"Don't ignore-"

"It's not her."

…

"Commander, reports intercepted from Starfleet indicate that there was one survivor on Janus V."

"Let him be. I want them to know who is destroying their world piece by piece."

"Yes, Commander."

…

"You what?"

"We want you present when we ask the survivor what happened."

"Why?"

"Because when we first found him, he'd been left for dead with your name carved across his chest. Say, do you know anyone with a serious personal vendetta against you?"

"Many, each as unlikely as the next."

"What about that Romulan commander you defeated last year? Livilla, wasn't it?"

"This isn't her."

"It could be."

"It's not."

"Captain, are you sure?"

"This isn't her. It can't be."

"Well, who is it then?"

"I don't know. Anyone but her."

"I understand the experience was… traumatic, but that doesn't mean you can deny her existence."

"I'm not in denial, I'm just saying it wasn't her."

"Will you come?"

"Yes. Yes, I'll come."

…

"Our next target?"

"The _Enterprise_ itself. Prepare the electrotorpedo."

"Yes, Commander."

"And feed my pet."

"Yes, Commander."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: A bit less action in this chapter than you might want, sorry! Review to receive a compliment in your inbox. Thanks to Smile or else, Brendabear, stargazerdown, and Ayara012. HUGE thanks to krikanalo.**

"Welcome, Captain Kirk."

"Thanks. I understand that the Admiralty wants me present while they ask the survivor some questions?"

"Down the hall on the left. And your First is welcome too." she said, smiling dazzlingly at them.

"Thank you, Ensign. We'll be on our way."

"She was nice."

"We are not here to indulge your passion for blonde women. We are here to listen to what the only survivor of the attack on the Janus V colony has to tell us."

"Loosen up, Spock."

"Illogical." They stopped in front of a door marked No Entry Without Permit.

"This is it." Kirk took a deep breath, scanned his permit card, and entered.

The room consisted of a semicircular table, with several uncomfortably hard high-backed chairs on the curved side, and a comfy armchair on the straight side. The walls, ceiling, and floor were no different than your standard, boring Starfleet command office. Occupying all but two of the high-backed chairs were every single admiral in Starfleet, expressions of deep concern on their faces. The armchair was still empty. Kirk and Spock sat in the last two empty high-backed chairs.

"We are still awaiting one more person." Spock noted.

"The survivor."

"He suffered a panic attack earlier. We thought it best to give him time to recover. He should be along- Ah, there he is."

The survivor was dressed in a loose hospital gown and accompanied by two doctors. Sensitive pink skin marked where minor injuries had been healed with a dermal regenerator. His watery gray eyes took in every detail of the room, and his blond hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. He took a seat in the armchair. One of the doctors stood next to him, while the other left, closing the door behind him with a resounding _thunk. _

"All right son, we just need to ask you a few questions, and then you can go, okay?"

He nodded.

"Who are you?"

"Kevin." He sounded anxious, but not panicky, and he had a surprisingly smooth voice for someone who had almost died of dehydration.

"Kevin who?"

"Kevin J. Adams."

"Do you have friends or family elsewhere in the galaxy?"

"A sister, on Mars. Lucille Mary Adams."

"What were you doing on Janus V?"

"My wife and I had decided it was time to settle down. Janus V seemed as good a place as any."

"Condolences on the death of your wife."

"I'd like to move on." he said tensely.

"Of course. Can you describe the attack?"

"Everything was just like any other day. Then this ship appeared out of nowhere, started shooting. It seemed like it was everywhere, and sometimes we couldn't even see it. People were running, screaming, trying to hide. Things started to calm down, but there were still some people hiding in places the ship couldn't hit. I was one of them. Me and three other guys, jammed into this animal hole under a rock with something big sniffing our toes. Then the ship landed. They were wearing helmets, we couldn't see their faces, but they were definitely humanoid. No weird appendages or anything. They hunted down every survivor and killed them. Man, woman, child, it didn't matter to them. One of them pulled me out of the hole, carved _KIRK_ into my chest, and left me to die."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything."

"One more question. Did you recognize the ship?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"A bird-of-prey."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Poor Kevin. Also, poor Kirk! Review for longer chapters. Thanks to krikanalo and Star trek lover (guest).**

Kirk got up and walked out, shaking almost imperceptibly. Almost.

"Jim!"

"It's her. Oh god, Spock, it's _her._ I kept hoping that maybe it wasn't, and now I can't do that anymore because it's _her_. Livilla's back, and I can't do a fucking thing about it." He punched the wall as if it were her, wincing in pain when his fist met the solid steel.

"Did you injure yourself?"

"I'm fine, Spock."

"As Dr. McCoy would say, 'bullshit'. Let me see your hand." Kirk obligingly extended it. After a brief examination, during which he made sure to give as many kisses as possible, he announced "Nothing broken, at least. Best to have it checked when we return to the ship." Much to his surprise, Jim reached up to pull him into a full-on, passionate, human kiss. When they finally broke apart to take a breath, Spock drew back. "Pleasant as that was, it was also rather unexpected, leading me to ask: why?"

"Well since she's back, I thought… last night alive and all that."

"We should return to the ship. If we keep moving, it will be harder for her to catch us."

"Yeah. Yeah, we should." Jim's face made it clear that his mind was on other things that they could do back on the ship.

"Captain, now is hardly the time." Spock slid from "lover" to "professional" faster than the _Enterprise_ could warp.

"Yeah. I guess now is the time to run."

…

"Commander, the _Enterprise_ is no longer at the base."

"Destroy the base, and start scanning for it."

"Yes, Commander."

…

_Beeeeep_

"What was that?"

"A radar blip, indicating a massive explosion."

"It's the base, sir. The base is gone."

"Maximum warp. She's found us."

…

"Fire."

…

Suddenly, everything went crazy. Anything electric exploded, pieces of glass, metal, and half-melted plastic flew everywhere. The lights shattered, spraying glass in deadly showers. Smoke filled the air, acrid with the smell of melting plastic and burnt hair. The only light source was the large window.

"Scotty! Scotty, what was that?" Kirk coughed into his communicator.

"Some kind of power surge Cap'n. It's knocked out the entire ship. She's dead, sir, and climbin' into her warp core won't fix it this time."

"Can you come up here? Maybe the bridge'll provide a clue as to how this happened. Get Bones on the way, we've got injuries."

"With all due respect sir, it won't matter."

"What do you mean it won't matter?"

"When I say the entire ship, I mean life support too. You'd have to replace every wire and electric part in the ship to get her functioning again. It won't matter if I figure out what caused this. It won't matter if the doctor treats some injuries. The _Enterprise_ is dead."

"Well, could the two of you come up anyways, if only to boost morale."

"Aye, Cap'n."

Kirk turned around to find Spock listening in on his conversation. "Do you think this is how she intends to kill us?"

"No. She likes to make it personal. This is just step one."

…

"Two more on the bridge, Commander."

"Transporter room, stand by until my arrival."

…

"Shit!"

"How'd she get a transporter?!"

…

"Welcome aboard the _Narada II_. If you had any hope that this situation might turn out in your favor, discard it immediately. You're playing my game now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Erring on the side of whumpier, since NOBODY IS GIVING HELPFUL REVIEWS. Thanks to krikanalo.**

It was soon apparent that only those on the bridge had been transported. All the others had been left to slowly suffocate, a far more pleasant fate than what was ahead. Many crewmembers had already been fed to Livilla's pet Ispei, a gigantic creature somewhere between a wolf and a saltwater crocodile. By the time the Ispei was full, only Uhura, Scotty, Bones, Chapel, Chekov, Sulu, Kirk, and Spock were left, and Chekov was in the throes of a full-blown panic attack.

"Tie those up, somewhere they can see what's happening to their Captain and his First. And someone shut the little brat up. No wait, I'll do it." She strode across the room and did what she had threatened to do to Kirk a year ago. "Well, that's better." she said, snipping off the loose end of her thread.

Sulu looked murderous. If he hadn't been cuffed to the wall, Livilla would have been reduced to a bloody mess.

"Now back to the main problem. What should I do with _you_?"

"Let us go, for one."

"Did I ask for suggestions? No. So as punishment, Spock will be going first."

"HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"I decide what's fair and what's not. Remember, you're playing my game now." She picked up a six-inch long needle and without hesitation ran it through his fingertip, down into his knuckle, and out the back of his hand.

"AAAAAAAAH!"

She repeated it again and again and again until all 10 of his fingers were impaled. "Sensitive fingers. Such a weakness. You should get yourself a new First, garbage. This one's useless."

"I'm gonna kill you."

"You tried. Twice. And you failed. Twice."

"Well, they say third time's the charm. And … You. Are. Going. To. Pay."

"And how are you going to kill me?"

"With a phaser."

Livilla smirked. "If you can get one. Which you can't."

"If you ever touch Spock again, I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"Ooh. Are you expecting me to be afraid?" She pulled one of the needles out and shoved it through Kirk's hand, pinning him to the wall. "Because I'm a woman? Or is it because you're the great Jim Kirk, who took out both my idiot brother and that overgrown lab rat Khan within a year? I don't know who you think you are, but you are most definitely not above fear."

"The ability to confront fear and maintain control of oneself and one's crew is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain."

"Maybe." She bent his hand back until it had left the needle behind and was touching his arm. "But did they train you for this?"

"Jim, don't antagonize her. We are completely at her mercy."

"Which she has very little of."

"Did I say you could speak?" She backhanded Spock with enough force to snap a human's neck. He continued glaring defiantly at her. "And you should learn that a guest never insults his host." She pulled the needle out of the wall and stuck it in his shoulder, so deep it came out on the other side. Kirk gasped as he felt the needle enter him, refusing to allow her the pleasure of hearing him scream.

"Welcome to hell. Enjoy your stay." she hissed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I am so, sooo, sorry about not updating. Really, truly sorry. Thanks to anyone who reads this shit.**

Kirk screamed as the acid made contact with his skin, eating away his flesh. The needle in his shoulder was pleasant compared to this. It felt like a horde of army ants was devouring him alive.

"Oh, does that hurt? As much as losing your planet, your brother, and your friends?"

"I… didn't… destroy… Romulus."

"You killed my crew. And my brother. Your pet Vulcan failed to save Romulus."

"Wrong… Spock."

"Oh, I know. That's why we're headed to New Vulcan at maximum speed. I thought you seemed a bit lonely, so I'm bringing you some company."

"NO!"

Both Kirk and Livilla whipped their heads around in surprise; they had not thought Spock conscious (after being impaled in various places), much less capable of screaming.

"You already had your vengeance on him. Leave him alone."

"You're wrong there. Nero had his vengeance, but I wanted something completely different. I wanted to _see_ the results of what I did, to know that the pain was enough because I had seen it with my own eyes."

"You're a psychopath."

"And you're a pathetic excuse for a Vulcan who can't even save his own planet, much less mine."

"I tried. My other self tried."

"And you _failed_." Livilla punctuated the word _failed_ with a knife driven through Spock's arm.

…

"What's that?"

"It's a ship. A dead ship."

"I know it's a dead ship. What ship is it?"

"Only one ship looks like that, and that's the _Enterprise_."

"Impossible. Get me a direct line to Starfleet command. I think this might have something to do with their missing starbase."

"Yes, sir!"

…

Admiral Archer had been having a rough few weeks. First the starbase _Dawn Horizon _blown apart, then everyone on Janus V killed by some lunatic with a warship, then most of his friends in the Admiralty missing, along with another starbase, and now someone had found the _Enterprise _and most of her crew dead and drifting through deep space. It was the stuff of his nightmares. He'd been rather fond of Pike, and now his protégé Kirk was all that was left of him, and most likely dead. Not even his dogs could help him get over this.

_Maybe I should send a search party._ he thought. Kirk's body and those of his bridge crew, Chief Engineer, CMO, and head nurse had not been found. The strange electric torpedo indicated the ship had been attacked, but by whom? What enemy in their right mind would rather have Kirk alive than dead?

Then all the pieces clicked together, and he took a step back in horror. "Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. Computer, get me every Starfleet official you can find."

"You better have a good reason for calling me up, Archer."

"What's going on?"

"Have you caught the attacker?"

"I do, I'm not entirely sure, and no. However, I do know who she is."

"She?"

"Yes, she, Captain Howards, she. Does the name Commander Livilla ring any bells?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: So, yeah, short chapter this time. Honestly, this was really an excuse to kill someone off, because it felt like this story needed at least one dramatic death scene. Sorry for not updating, but nobody was reviewing and I was starting to doubt that anyone liked my stories. Huge thanks to bandgeek5100!**

_Drip, drip, drip._

"So weak. Couldn't save Vulcan, couldn't save Romulus, Couldn't save your ship. What does that leave either of you with?"

"Our captain." Answered both Spocks.

"As useless as you. It's getting harder and harder not to kill him, he's so _fragile._"

"If you kill him, we will kill you."

"Not we, but I. Only one of you survives the day. Who should I put down, Kirk, your lover or your friend?"

"Yourself." He coughed.

"That wasn't an option." She stabbed him in the shoulder, targeting his old injuries.

He screamed as the acid-coated blade ripped and burned his body.

…

"Sir, New Vulcan's been attacked."

"SHIT! I knew something like this was going to happen!"

"With the rest of the Admiralty missing, your word is law. How do we respond to this attack?"

"We get everything we have after that ship RIGHT NOW!"

"Yes, sir!"

"All ships on maximum alert and looking for a rogue bird-of-prey. I want everyone not looking for survivors out there."

…

"_Choose._"

"No."

"Fine."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"

"_CHOOSE_!"

"I… re… fuse…"

Livilla seemed to lose what little sanity she had left at that point. She started stabbing wildly at him, slashing like a woman possessed, screeching indecipherably.

"Stop."

"What?"

"If you're so keen to have one of us dead, then I gladly volunteer."

"Spock, what the he-"

"It has been an honor. But I think I've overstayed my welcome in this universe."

"I'm not letting you do this."

"Jim, has it ever occurred to you that I welcome the opportunity to see my t'hy'la again?"

"You want to die?"

"Not to die, just to see him again. If my younger self died, would you not welcome death, as a way of joining him?"

"Goodbye Spock."

"Live long and prosper, Jim."


End file.
